-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Why leave home when you can send out a sexy , stylish robot version of yourself to do anything you tell it ?

In `` Surrogates , '' lifelike robots take the place of humans in day-to-day life .

That 's the world of `` Surrogates , '' a film starring Bruce Willis that opens Friday .

Willis plays an FBI agent who investigates the first murder to occur in years in a world where no one worries about crime or pain , because their robots self-heal with a quick reboot .

Far-fetched science fiction ? Sure .

But scientists and the movie 's makers say the technology might not be as far away as most people think .

Armies use remote-controlled robots to attack enemies and destroy land mines . Emerging technology for the disabled allows users to operate robotic limbs and control computer cursors without touching a keyboard .

And emerging `` telepresence '' technology is letting people see , hear and , increasingly , walk , talk and gesture using human-sized robots a world away .

`` There are a lot of real-world components to this , '' said robotics expert and author Daniel H. Wilson , whose books like `` Where 's My Jet Pack ? '' and `` How to Survive a Robot Uprising '' explore the intersections between science fiction and real science .

`` Clearly , there are not fully functional humanoid robots ... but there are a lot of components to telepresence that already exist . ''

`` Surrogates '' director Jonathan Mostow , whose film credits include 2003 's `` Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines , '' said he was drawn to the concept of surrogate robots as an extension of current technology . And , he said , as he met with scientists , he became convinced that something approaching the concept could one day be a reality .

`` To me , it 's not even a question of the technology . Technology always catches up , '' he said . `` The question is , is some universal human urge being met by this invention ? It seems to me we have a fundamental human desire to be lazy , to sort of not have to do things in person and to do it remotely .

`` That began with the telegraph and the telephone and has morphed into the Internet . ''

The first steps down the road are being taken at Anybots , a Mountain View , California , company founded in 2001 by Trevor Blackwell .

The company offers , for about $ 30,000 , a 5-foot-tall , 35-pound robot that allows the user to remotely travel , see , hear and talk . It hopes to release its latest version of the robot at a more affordable price .

The robot 's vaguely humanoid curves , roughly adult height and ability to move around using technology similar to that of the Segway are important steps up from current teleconferencing technology , Blackwell said .

Anybots in the development phase are being designed to run , jump and climb stairs , and they come equipped with fully articulated hands designed to perform increasingly human-like tasks .

Blackwell said he 's not sure the technology will ever advance to the level imagined in `` Surrogates '' -- but that may have as much to do with desire as ability .

`` I do n't know if we 'll ever get quite to that level , of being that realistic , '' he said . `` Most of the time , you 're not trying to fool people ; you 're just trying to make something human enough so people can relate to it . ''

Wilson , who said he appreciates `` Surrogates '' because it avoids sci-fi 's traditional `` man vs. machine '' dynamic , also imagines social reasons for not pursuing such technology .

`` Would humans stand in line at the grocery store behind a robot ? Would I let my children play outside if I knew there were robots outside walking dogs ? '' he said .

It 's more realistic , Wilson said , that a humanoid robot could be created to remotely perform tasks that would be too dangerous for the machine 's operator to do . although NASA employs robots in space , the highly technical work often required for space walks still requires a human touch -- at least for now .

Plus , he said , making robots that look and act like us would help them function better , he said .

`` Another major reason to create humanoid robots is , they can use all of our tools , '' Wilson said . `` Human beings have taken large chunks of the planet and completely transformed the environment to support our embodiment . Doorways are a certain width all over the world because human beings are about the same size . All our tools are similar because we 've all got hands and thumbs . ''

For Mostow , the movie also reflects technological advances that , for better or worse , exist as the world of online networking continues to grow .

`` You can do your shopping . You can get your news . You can let everyone know what you 're up to , '' he said . `` For those who telecommute , you do n't even have to put your clothes on to go to work .

`` This idea basically just takes that to its logical conclusion . ''

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In `` Surrogates '' sexy , stylish robots live life for their owners

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Scientists say `` telepresence '' with robots is real , will improve

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California company Anybots developing robot that can jump , climb stairs

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Director : Androids are `` logical conclusion '' of technology that already exists